Comedy drama
Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau dramedy,[1][2][3] is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic themes (such as death, illness, betrayal, grief, etc.) are dealt with realism and subtlety, while preserving a humorous tenor.[4][5]
Modern television comedy dramas tend to have more humour integrated into the story than the comic relief common in drama series, but usually contain a lower joke rate than sitcoms.[citation needed][not verified in body]
History
[edit]In the very influential Greek theatre, plays were considered comedies or tragedies. This concept even influenced Roman theatre and theatre of the Hellenistic period. Theatre of that era is thought to have long-lasting influence, even in modern narrative works.[6] Even today, works are often classified into two broad buckets, dramas and comedies. For instance, many awards that recognize achievements in film and television today, such as the Primetime Emmy Awards and the Golden Globe Awards segregate several award categories into these two classifications.
The 20th century saw a rise in film and television works that could be described as comedy-dramas. The term is a translation from the French "comédie dramatique". The portmanteau "dramedy" came to be in the 1980s.[3][7]
In American cinema, The Kid (1921) by Charlie Chaplin is acknowledged as the first feature length film to blend comedy and drama.[8][9][10]
Characteristics
[edit]In January 2022, Rafael Abreu, writing for the StudioBinder filmmaking blog, defined this genre as follows:[11]
A dramedy is a movie or program that balances the elements of a drama and a comedy. Also known as a comedy drama, this hybrid genre often deals with real life situations, grounded characters, and believable situations. The ratio between the drama and comedy can vary, but most of the time there is an equal measure of both, with neither side dominating.
Abreu also adds that dramedies often deal with relatable and serious topics such as divorce, illness, hardship, and heartache.
Notable examples
[edit]The examples and perspective in this section deal primarily with United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (November 2024) |
Film
[edit]Examples of comedy dramas in film include:
Name | Year | Country | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
8½ | 1963 | Italy | |
Annie Hall | 1977 | United States | |
Forrest Gump | 1994 | United States | |
Trainspotting | 1996 | United Kingdom | |
The Celebration | 1998 | Denmark | |
The Royal Tenenbaums | 2001 | United States | |
Punch-Drunk Love | 2002 | United States | |
Garden State | 2004 | United States | |
Little Miss Sunshine | 2006 | United States | also considered a tragicomedy |
You, the Living | 2007 | Sweden | |
Juno | 2007 | United States | |
A Serious Man | 2009 | United States, United Kingdom | |
It's Such a Beautiful Day | 2012 | United States | |
The Grand Budapest Hotel | 2014 | United States, Germany | |
Lady Bird | 2017 | United States | |
Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood | 2019 | United States, United Kingdom | |
Everything Everywhere All at Once | 2022 | United States | |
Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths | 2022 | Mexico | |
White Noise | 2022 | United Kingdom, United States | |
Asteroid City | 2023 | United States |
Television
[edit]Examples of television comedy dramas include:
Name | Year | Country | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
M*A*S*H | 1972 | United States | |
The Love Boat | 1977 | United States | |
Moonlighting | 1985 | United States | |
The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd | 1987 | United States | [12] |
Frank's Place | 1987 | United States | [13] |
Hooperman | 1987 | United States | [7] |
The Wonder Years | 1988 | United States | |
Doogie Howser, M.D. | 1989 | United States | |
Northern Exposure | 1990 | United States | |
Ally McBeal | 1997 | United States | |
Sex and the City | 1998 | United States | |
Scrubs | 2001 | United States | |
Desperate Housewives | 2004 | United States | [14] |
BoJack Horseman | 2014 | United States | |
You’re the Worst | 2014 | United States | |
Hazbin Hotel | 2024 | United States |
See also
[edit]- List of comedy drama television series
- Black comedy
- Dramatic structure
- Melodrama
- Seriousness
- Tragicomedy
- Psychological drama
References
[edit]- ^ "Dramedy". Cambridge Dictionary. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
- ^ "Dramedy". Oxford Dictionaries. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 26 September 2016. Retrieved 30 May 2018.
- ^ a b Cathcart, Olivia (1 July 2021). "Rethinking the Dramedy: What Is It, Anyway?". Paste. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
- ^ Del Greco, Fabio (2023). "Dramatic Comedy Films to Watch". Indiecinema. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
- ^ Thorpe, Vanessa (11 May 2019). "Seriously funny: why we fell in love with dramedies". The Guardian. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
- ^ Cartwright, Mark (14 July 2016). "Ancient Greek Theatre". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20 January 2024.
- ^ a b Kelley, Bill (23 September 1987). "The Best And The Brightest Abc's Hooperman – The Hands-down Winner Of The Best New Show Of The Year – Introduces A New Format, dramedy, While Slap Maxwell Reintroduces Dabney Coleman". Sun Sentinel. Archived from the original on 24 September 2017. Retrieved 24 September 2017.
- ^ Vance, Jeffrey (2003). "The Kid (1921)". Chaplin:Genius of the Cinema (PDF) (1st ed.). New York: Harry N. Abrams. p. 109. ISBN 978-0810945326 – via Library of Congress.
- ^ McCarrick, Michael (16 June 2021). "How Charlie Chaplin's The Kid Changed Cinema History". CBR. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
- ^ Travers, James (2009). "The Kid (1921)". FrenchFilms.org. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
- ^ Abreu, Rafael (9 January 2022). "Dramedy Explained — A Study of the Comedy Drama Genre". StudioBinder. Retrieved 21 January 2024.
- ^ Brinkmoeller, Tom (3 September 2010). "Classic "Molly Dodd" Series Remains Locked Up, Awaiting 'Bail'". TV Worth Watching. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
- ^ Hill, Michael (6 August 1989). "Bochco gives dramedy another go with 'Doogie Howser, M.D.'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 15 August 2018.
- ^ Weiner, Allison Hope (20 December 2004). "Is 'Desperate Housewives' a comedy?". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
Further reading
[edit]- "Dramedy Defined: Understanding the Comedy-Drama Genre". Daisie. 21 June 2023. (platform co-founded by actress Maisie Williams and producer Dom Santry)
- Havas, Julia; Sulimma, Maria (2020). "Through the Gaps of My Fingers: Genre, Femininity, and Cringe Aesthetics in Dramedy Television". Television & New Media. 21 (1): 75–94. doi:10.1177/1527476418777838. ISSN 1527-4764.
- Mather, Nigel (2006). Tears of laughter: Comedy-drama in 1990s British Cinema (1st ed.). Manchester, England: Manchester University Press. ISBN 978-0719070761.
- Ortega, Oscar (10 April 2024). "Drama Or Dramedy: Defining The Voice Of Socially Relevant Comedy". A Hot Set. A.N. Publishing.
- Taylor, Robin (27 May 2021). "What is Comedy Drama?". BBC Writers. BBC.